Serving Bread

(During this Sabbatical season, I have had the privilege to study and learn from one of my historical mentors, John Wesley. I will be posting some of those lessons as part of my reflections on leadership)

Though Wesley had grown up in a Christian home and had a noteworthy ministry prior to 1738, he claims that he was not really a Christian until a conversion moment came when he heard a reading of Luther’s preface to the book of Romans (how many people can claim to have been converted by a preface?).

His conversion led Wesley to be unashamed in preaching the gospel wherever he could. Though he never renounced membership in the Church of England, the church did not take too much of a liking to Wesley. Many priests and bishops prevented him from preaching in their pulpits. These barriers only motivated him to think creatively on how to preach the gospel. Inspired by his younger protege, George Whitfield, Wesley began preaching “in the field.” He especially preached and ministered among the poor who were generally neglected by the church.

In reflecting his vision, Wesley wrote in his journal

I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that His blessing attends it.  Great encouragement have I, therefore, to be faithful in fulfilling the work He hath given me to do.

Lessons from Wesley:

• The world is our parish. Wesley did not care for any boundary that would limit how he sees his role in preaching the gospel. At my best, I may think of a particular segment of the campus my parish. But to think of the campus, the city, the world as my parish requires a paradigm shift to believe that God has appointed me for leadership to minister and call people to be reconciled to God. Leadership is not tied to any job description. It’s not limited by opposition nor is it defined by others. Leadership at it’s best is inspired by God.
• Assurance of God’s call. Wesley’s over-confident assurance of God’s call in his life may have been to a fault (he was not known to offer much charity to people who disagreed with his theology and methods), but he never doubted God’s call on his life. Too often, I can waiver on how God has gifted me and whether he has called me. These doubts usually take me on a downward spiral of dejection. Wesley reminds me that one of the priorities in my life is to go to Jesus with an urgency when I doubt God’s call in my life.
• Faithful in the work. Wesley is a fantastic example of the “faithful with little, you’ll be faithful with much” principle. Wesley was faithful to the work that God had given him and believed that God would give him more leadership and more influence. His relationship with money perhaps exemplifies this. In some respects, Wesley, one of the wealthiest men of his day, died poor. He had lived on modest means throughout his life, and the more money that came his way (mostly due to his writings), the more he gave away. He was faithful with whatever lot was given to him.

  (As a side note, I wonder if as a culture have become more faithful to ideas than faithful with results. We put stock on great ideas rather than pay attention to faithfulness to the work of the ministry. We imagine and generate excitement for what can be, failing to put our energy in being faithful with what we currently have. And I think some of the danger in that is that many of the ideas are untested and may never be fully tested.  John Wesley was a man of fantastic ideas, but what I glean from his journal entries, sermons, and biographical narratives, is that he spent most of his energy making sure that he was faithful with all that God has given him.)